


Interludes

by ofcorsetstrash



Series: The Red Wolf [4]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6533548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofcorsetstrash/pseuds/ofcorsetstrash





	1. Interlude I

Hux knocked on the door and walked in when he heard her say "Enter".

 

"General," he said. "I need a task to do."

 

General Organa smiled at him from behind her desk. "I suppose that can be arranged. Has medical cleared you for all activity?"

 

"General," he said. "Please. Give me a task to do. Surely nothing will speed my recovery more than to have something to work for."

 

"Very well, Red."

 

Hux bit back a sigh. If even  _she_ had taken to calling him that, there was no going back. The General pulled up a blank file on her console. "What are your qualifications? Skill-set? Work experience?"

 

Hux sat in the chair in front of her desk. Carefully, so as not to disturb Millicent, currently dozing in his pocket. "I served as a soldier and officer in the First Order for the last sixteen years. I have a small amount of field and combat training. I already acquired a sniper rifle from your armory for my use."

 

"Without my permission."

 

"Oh," said Hux. "I didn't... They said it was fine..."

 

"I'm just teasing you, Hux," she said with another warm smile. "I'm glad you felt you could ask for one."

 

He cleared his throat. "Most of my strengths are in command positions: organization, planning, strategy and other similar pursuits. However, I understand if you would rather have me put my talents to use in places not so... sensitive."

 

She pursed her lips and hummed slightly. "Do you know much about mechanics? Engineering? Do you know your way around a repair kit?"

 

"What I don't know, I can learn quickly, General."

 

She leaned her elbows on the desk. "I'll arrange a meeting for tomorrow and let you know the time. I want you to fill in all of the commanding officers in the Resistance on everything you can about the workings of the First Order."

 

"Much of what I know was tied up in Starkiller."

 

"Yes, but anything at all that you can tell us could still be useful. If nothing else, your cooperation will make you look good on front of everyone else."

 

"Because that's what I want more than anything," Hux deadpanned.

 

Organa laughed. "Until then," she said. "Why don't you go down to hanger six and ask around for Jessika Pava. Tell her that I sent you and that she's to put you to work."

 

"Thank you, General," Hux said, and stood to go. For a brief moment, he was caught in the awkward state of being unsure of whether or not to salute to her. By the time he decided that yes, he wanted to, it probably looked like a bit of a shipwreck. Thankfully, she didn't laugh at him. "I will see you tomorrow."

 

"Until tomorrow, General Red."


	2. Interlude II

"So," said Jesika, spitting a piece of hair from where it had stuck to her lips. "Red Wolf?"

 

Hux continued drilling at the hyperdrive emulation driver he was currently kneeling in front of. Once he was finished, he sat the tool down, peeled off the rough leather work glove on one hand and then reached up to run a gentle palm over Millicent's head where she was perched on his shoulder while he worked. The gesture was for Millie, not for himself. "Red Wolf?" he repeated, looking at Jesika, finally.

 

She was grinning, and poked a finger at him that didn't make contact but nearly made him flinch, anyway. "How'd you come up with the name?"

 

This was it, he felt. Time for another decision. He'd gone over the cost/benefit analysis before in his head, the good and bad of the Resistance at large thinking that he himself was the renegade terrorist, scratch that,  _freedom fighter_ that they all but idolized. It was all Han Solo's fault, really. If the man had just kept his stupid propensity for nicknames to himself...

 

Well, the benefits outweighed the risks. He couldn't help but feel that the Resistance's welcome of him was, in part, due to this understanding. It would serve him well to continue to use it to his advantage. Also, they would fight all the harder to protect him, should the First Order seek retribution upon his self.

 

Even all of that was not enough to convince Hux to continue the charade, even if he told himself it was. The real reason, the real  _real_ reason, was to help protect Ben, to deflect suspicion and threat away from him, and onto Hux. Hux could do that, for him. He could do that much.

 

"Well, the 'red' part should be fairly obvious, I should think."

 

Jesika tipped her head back in a genuine laugh. Hux almost managed to join her.

 

"Honestly," he said. "It was part of the First Order threat level protocol. A "Red" threat was supposed to be a small threat, but one that stood a chance of becoming a bigger problem if not dealt with quickly."

 

The pilot girl was still grinning, laughing welling up at the roof of her mouth. "And the wolf?"

 

Hux plucked Millie from his shoulder and held her against his chest for a moment, her fur tickling at his wrist. "A native predator from my home world, Arkanis." He tucked his chin down to feel Millicent's fur against the stubble that was starting to grow along his jaw. He should really shave, but he always felt too tired when he stumbled into his quarters at the end of the day to do more than take care of the essential level of hygiene. Doj said his energy levels would continue to improve, but that was hardly reassuring when he was frustrated with exhausting four-hour work-days. "Wolves are intelligent, cunning, and able to take down prey far larger than themselves by working together as a unit, a team. The First Order believed for a while that the Red Wolf couldn't possibly be only one person." He managed half a smile. "A wolf by itself, you see, is a sad thing. A wolf gets... lonely."


End file.
